Plastech plans two more plant closings
DEARBORN, MICH. - Plastech Engineered Products Inc. is continuing its planned exit from the exterior auto plastics business, announcing the pending closure of two more plants.
The Dearborn-based auto supplier has been operating under Chapter 11 protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit since February, and has told the court that it will either sell or shut down its exterior business line. Johnson Controls Inc. of Plymouth, Mich., has proposed a deal to buy Plastech's interior parts plants.
The two latest plants slated to close cover nearly 500 jobs, with 416 employees in Byesville, Ohio, and 88 in Moraine, Ohio, according to notices filed with the state of Ohio.
Both plants are set to shut down within 14 days of July 13. The two sites bring the number of planned Plastech closures up to six in North America.
Hi-Tech Engineering moves to larger HQ
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - Hi-Tech Engineering Inc., a reaction injection molding equipment maker, will more than double its manufacturing space by moving into a 50,000-square-foot headquarters factory in Grand Rapids.
Hi-Tech Engineering is moving from its 20,000-square-foot building in Grand Rapids into the new facility.
Growth in sales and engineering and development work prompted the expansion. The new building will have a test laboratory for customer trials, a manufacturing area more than double in size, and improved office space.
``The additional space will allow us to continue to grow our company with an increased focus on product innovation,'' said Otto Huiber, vice president of engineering. ``The additional space will allow us to continue to grow our company, with an increased focus on product innovation.''
Huiber said the new building will help Hi-Tech Engineering ship equipment faster and improve customer support.
Hi-Tech Engineering makes RIM machines to process polyurethane, mixheads and machinery for material and mold handling.
Constantia unit gets new name, owner
ELGIN, ILL. - Constantia Multifilm Packaging Corp. of Elgin, Ill., has been bought by a management group.
Constantia Packaging AG of Vienna, Austria, sold the business, now called Multifilm Packaging Corp., for undisclosed terms effective May 7.
Multifilm is an integrated producer of specialty flexible packaging for the food, beverage and confectionary industries. It is a leader in hard candy packaging and is growing in its recently adopted area of laminated barrier packaging for coffee and other food packaging. Its products include twist wraps, flow wraps, bag and pouch film, and single webs and laminates. Multifilm does cast film extrusion of polypropylene, metalizing, printing, laminating, coating and slitting.
Chicago-based investment bank Blaige & Co. LLC advised Constantia on the transaction.
One of Multifilm's newest technologies is its N-coat system of a nanotechnology-based ultrathin coating applied to polyester film and laminated to a sealant web. It gives a clear film with gas barrier that is competitive with metalized film, according to the company.
Also new from Multifilm is its Hi-Z two-ply metalized barrier laminate that can replace expensive, three-ply metalized films without sacrificing optics, barrier or performance, the firm states on its Web site.
Constantia, publicly listed on the Vienna stock exchange, is expected to have sales of more than 2 billion euros ($3.1 billion) this year. Its three business segments are flexible packaging, corrugated board and aluminum. It employs about 8,400 in 20 countries around the world.
Crescent Industries adds clean room
NEW FREEDOM, PA. - Crescent Industries Inc. has installed a Class 10,000 clean room in its New Freedom custom injection molding and assembly plant.
The firm is using the 768-square-foot clean room to assemble and package medical and electronic products. The room, which Crescent brought into production in March, is a once-through positive airflow system in which ambient air is drawn into fan-filter units at ceiling level. It is temperature and humidity controlled.
Crescent, established in 1946, is owned by the Paules family and employees. It employs about 120 and had injection molding sales of $12.8 million for the year ended Sept. 30, 2007. Its molding and assembly operation comprise 50,000 square feet and another 22,000 square feet are occupied by the tool shop. It molds thermoplastics in a range of volumes, from prototypes to high volume.